Chapter 25: Haunted

The days went on and I still cried for Austin. I sound like I'm whining a lot, but losing him left a hole in my heart that I'm pretty sure will always be there. Sometimes I feel like my chest hurts, like my heart is literally broken and is stabbing me from within.

I was of course, pregnant again, from my encounter with Skip. I spent my days at home searching my mind and analyzing my dreams, desperately trying to find answers to my problems. I got lucky today as I sifted through the pile of things from my mother. A letter was stuck behind one of the photos. I hadn't seen it until now because it had been folded up to fit perfectly on the back of the photo. The photo was of the red haired Sim I'd seen in my dream, the man I thought might have been my father, the man my mom was in love with. The letter was behind a close up picture of him.

I carefully opened the letter, holding it as if it was fragile glass in my hands.

Dear Albany,

My sweet darling. Filming starts today. We are going to be in Sapphire Valley for a few days. My crew is currently setting up all the equipment for our first take. I had some time to get away and write this. I'm sorry I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off lately. You know how I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to leave her. I never should have married her, Albany. When I'm with you, I feel like time stops. I don't notice anything else when I'm around you. You make me feel things I never felt with her. 

I was a stupid teenager when we got together and she conned me into being with her. She made me believe the child she had with another man was mine so that I would marry her. Now she works on my film crew as my director of photography, so it's very hard to sneak away and see you. She's very suspicious and she goes through my things daily. I want so badly to spark a fight so that I can just tell her everything and tell her that I'm leaving her. 

The reason I keep saying the time is not right is because she signed on to work on this movie with me, and in order for our movie to make it to production on time, I cannot hire a new director of photography until after this project is over. You must know that I love you with all my heart, and the reasons I have for not being with you are purely work related. Ok, it's 8am, I must be off, they need me on the set.

Love yours forever,
Valos

He was so handsome. There was no doubt though, with that skin tone and those eyes, that he was my father. Now that I had a face and a name, I wondered if he was still alive. I thought not since my mother would have been crazy to kill herself if he had been with her. Not that I knew how my mother actually died. Fire. That's all the funeral home was able to tell me.

---

When I got up, a ghost was standing in my bed. Well, one of his legs was in my bed. He was the same orange ghost from the old house that I had seen who vaporized before I had a chance to say something.

Damn it. By the time I had stood up, the ghost was gone. I swear, it had only been a second. The ghost was clearly haunting me, and not the old house. What did it want if it kept disappearing like that? To torment me?

I shook it off and went to give Echelon a walking lesson. The garage was the best place for it since there was a lot of space. The ghost was there again. I looked at its clothing which I could faintly see. I made out a vest... Vincent?

I finally caught the ghost long enough to ask him two questions.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"Vincent Agosti." Vincent turned towards the picture of Austin and pointed. "Don't give up on Austin."

My eyes grew big. What the berry was going on?

"How do you know about Austin? Aren't you a ghost? Does that mean Austin's dead?"

The chance that Austin could be dead never ceased to cross my mind. Now a ghost was standing in front of me telling me he knew Austin. The thought of Austin being a ghost made me lose my bearings and start crying. Surprisingly, Vincent gave me a comforting hug.

"He is not dead, but he is not in your world. He is stuck in the middle. Do not give up on him. If he is your true love, you can be with him again, but you have to have faith."

"What? How can I bring him back?"

"He will remain stuck until you finish your task."

"What task?"

"I do not know. Everything I have told you is all the information I know. Goodbye, Sicily."

"Wait! Will I ever see you again?"

Vincent looked back at me and said, "Perhaps in a dream." Then he vanished in a flash of orange light.